Etihad Rail has introduced the primary routes on its eagerly awaited passenger service, in a milestone second for the nation’s largest infrastructure undertaking.
It confirmed solely to The Nationwide the primary providers will join Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah within the community’s opening section.
Etihad Rail stated passengers can anticipate frequent trains on the Abu Dhabi to Dubai line, which displays the surging intercity commuter and enterprise commerce, with the path to Fujairah bolstering tourism and entry to the east coast.
Passengers can anticipate journey time of about an hour between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and 90 minutes between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, though a exact schedule continues to be being labored out.
A date for the community launch can be but to be introduced however the service is about to start out this 12 months and, as soon as up and operating, trains will journey at speeds of as much as 200kph with a 400-passenger capability.
It comes because the UAE inhabitants continues to extend and the street community turns into more and more busy.
“I’m able to now reveal the preliminary routes which is able to launch in 2026,” Azza Al Suwaidi, deputy chief govt of Etihad Rail Mobility, instructed The Nationwide.
“Initially, trains will function between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, our twin centres of commerce, in addition to join with Fujairah within the east. From that backbone, and over the course of 2026 and past, additional routes, connections and stations will come on-line.
“We’re anticipating large demand.”
Particulars of timetables and ticket costs are additionally but to be revealed however Etihad Rail stated the preliminary routes had been based mostly on inhabitants density, journey demand and inter-emirate connectivity.
The three stations on this primary route are in Mohamed bin Zayed Metropolis in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai and in Fujairah’s Sakamkam neighbourhood, close to Al Hilal Metropolis improvement.
The Nationwide was granted uncommon entry to the Mohamed bin Zayed Metropolis station and the size of the progress was instantly clear. Whereas building is constant, the platforms, passenger canopies, info screens and turnstiles are almost prepared for the scores of passengers anticipated by way of the station doorways.
Mohamed bin Zayed Metropolis is a quickly increasing neighbourhood of the capital, near Mussaffah and reverse Dalma Mall, with the station anticipated to drive extra progress within the space.
Development on the three stations, which have distinctive facades, has superior quickly over the previous 12 months and Ms Al Suwaidi stated they’re designed to be “open, welcoming and straightforward to navigate”.
“I am unable to look forward to passengers to be on board and to expertise all the rail community,” she stated.
Etihad Rail final week confirmed the precise places of 11 new prepare stations throughout the UAE, which Ms Al Suwaidi stated will type the “foundations of the community”.
Etihad Rail stated it anticipated 10 million passengers to make use of the service, which is able to run on the present freight line, yearly.
“The UAE’s rail community has been explicitly designed to anticipate the wants of a rising nation,” stated Ms Al Suwaidi.
“Station places, together with Mohamed bin Zayed (Metropolis) have been chosen to enrich current inhabitants centres, in addition to areas which have been deliberately and intentionally allotted for future improvement.
“Our aspiration is that the community itself will act as a stimulus for additional progress, offering a springboard for funding in new housing, well being care, training, enterprise and cultural alternatives throughout all seven Emirates.”
Crucially, Etihad Rail stated it is usually placing main work into “first and last-mile options”, which basically means entry for these leaving the stations and can contain connecting to Metro and bus routes, offering taxi and e-hailing entry, together with locations for bikes and different modes of non-public transport.
“How folks get to and from the station is simply as necessary because the journey itself,” stated Ms Al Suwaidi. “Folks journey in numerous methods, at totally different occasions, and first and last-mile connections must mirror actual life.
“We’re exploring integration with current public transport, taxis and ride-hailing providers – together with new partnerships, akin to our collaboration with Yango Group. We’re additionally taking a look at parking amenities and future connections, as cities proceed to develop and evolve.”
Etihad Rail was established in 2009, with freight operations in Abu Dhabi emirate starting a couple of years later. The UAE-freight community started in 2023.
Ms Al Suwaidi stated constructing a community from scratch introduced “actual challenges” and “each element needed to be deliberate, examined and built-in from stations and trains to security methods and the way the service suits into day by day life”.
“Delivering a community of this scale took three years, over 7,000 consultants and staff and greater than 24 million working hours. By taking the time to construct it correctly, we’re delivering infrastructure that may earn belief and serve the nation for generations to come back.”
Etihad Rail final 12 months introduced particulars of a separate, electrified, high-speed passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A launch date was not offered however the line goals to chop the journey time on the high-speed service between the 2 emirates to half-hour.
